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November 18
1800s *1882 - The case of the Allegheny Club versus Charles Bennett is won by Bennett. Prior to the 1882 season, Allegheny signed Bennett to a $100 agreement which stated that he would sign an 1883 contract with the club after the season. Instead, Bennett re-signed with the Detroit Wolverines. This case will later have bearing on the fight over the reserve rule during the 1889-90 Players League War. *1886 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys leave the American Association to join the National League. *1887 - The National League adopts a new contract that spells out reserve provisions for the first time. The NL refuses to accept the players' demand that the salary be written out on all contracts, however. *1899 - Ban Johnson, president of the new American League, contemplates exchanging players of equal ability with the National League with a view to giving the public new attractions. 1900s-1940s *1914 - The Chicago Cubs name future Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan as their manager. The former St. Louis Cardinals skipper will be in the dugout for just one year as Chicago finishes fourth with a 73-80 record. *1924 - Oakland Oaks (PCL) owner Cal Ewing announces that he has sold the team to Washington Senators star Walter Johnson, represented by George Weiss, who deposited a check for $5,000 towards the purchase. Last month, Ewing announced that the sale price was an enthusiastic $450,000 (the St. Louis Cardinals recent sale was for $275,000). Nothing will come of all the talk, and Johnson will return to the Washington team. *1934 - Al Schacht leaves Washington to join Boston as a coach, breaking up the clown act he had performed with Nick Altrock. *1949 - Brooklyn Dodgers infielder Jackie Robinson, who hit 16 home runs with 124 RBI and led the National League with a .342 batting average, becomes the first black to win the Most Valuable Player Award. Stan Musial, Ralph Kiner, and teammate Pee Wee Reese are the runner ups. 1950s *1951 - Former Chicago Cubs first baseman and future star of the TV series The Rifleman Chuck Connors becomes the first player to refuse to participate in the major league draft. Currently the 1B for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, Connors wants to stay in California, instead of going to whatever team might draft him for the ML. The PCL views his refusal in a positive manner, allowing them to ask higher prices for minor league players than what the ML usually offers. *1954: **The Kansas City Athletics hire Lou Boudreau as manager replacing Eddie Joost, who is given his unconditional release. During his three-year tenure in Kansas City, the future Hall of Famer will pilot the second-division club to a 151-260 record. **In an enormous two-part trade begun on November 14, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles exchange 17 players. Included are first baseman Dick Kryhoski, pitchers Bob Turley and Don Larsen, catcher Darrell Johnson and shortstop Billy Hunter, from Baltimore. To the Orioles go outfielder Gene Woodling, shortstop Willie Miranda, pitchers Harry Byrd and Jim McDonald, and catchers Gus Triandos and Hal Smith. The trade will help both teams. *1958: **Cleveland Indians minority stockholders, led by Hank Greenberg, sell their parts to the majority stockholder, Chairman William Delay, who controls about 34 percent of the stock. **Milwaukee Braves second baseman Red Schoendienst is diagnosed as having tuberculosis. The next season, he will appear in just five games. *1959: **Washington Senators outfielder Bob Allison is voted the American League Rookie of the Year. Allison led all major league rookies with 30 home runs and 85 RBI. Cleveland Indians pitcher Jim Perry, who posted a 12-10 record with a 2.65 ERA, is a distant second. **Bob Elliott replace Harry Craft as the Kansas City Athletics manager. Elliot will compile a 162-196 record during his three-year stint in Kansas City. 1960s *1960 - Charlie Finley, a 42-year-old insurance tycoon from Gary, Indiana, makes a formal bid for the new Los Angeles club. *1963 - The Detroit Tigers sends outfielder Rocky Colavito, pitcher Bob Anderson, and a reported $50,000 to the Kansas City Athletics for second baseman Jerry Lumpe and pitchers Dave Wickersham and Ed Rakow. *1964 - Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson is voted American League Most Valuable Player, outpolling Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees 269 to 171. *1965 - Zoilo Versalles is named American League MVP. The Minnesota Twins shortstop gets 275 votes to 174 for teammate Tony Oliva. *1966: **Los Angeles Dodgers ace pitcher Sandy Koufax announces his retirement, due to increasing pain in his arthritic left elbow. Just three weeks earlier, Koufax had won a record third Cy Young Award. **Replacing the legendary Casey Stengel, the New York Mets name Wes Westrum as the team's second manager in the franchise's brief history. The former Giants catcher had taken over the club reins after Stengel had fractured his hip in July. 1970s *1970 - Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench wins the National League MVP Award with 326 points, 108 more than Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs. Bench hit a .293 batting average with 45 home runs and 148 RBI, while Williams finished with .322, 42, 109. *1976 - The New York Yankees sign free agent pitcher Don Gullett for $2 million. Gullett will have a 14–4 record in 1977, but spend most of the next three seasons on the injured list. 1980s *1980 - Despite having missed 45 games with injuries, George Brett is named American League Most Valuable Player. The 27-year-old third baseman's .390 batting average was the highest in the major leagues since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. Brett added 24 home runs and 118 RBI to lead the Kansas City Royals to its first AL pennant. *1981: **Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt wins his second consecutive National League MVP Award, joining Ernie Banks and Joe Morgan as the only NL players to take the award back-to-back. In the strike-shortened season, Schmidt hit a .316 batting average and led the league in home runs (31), RBI (91), runs (78), walks (73), on base percentage (.435) and slugging average (.644). **Dick Williams replaces Frank Howard as manager of the last place San Diego Padres. Williams, who has won three pennants and two World Series in last 14 years, will pilot San Diego to a National League pennant in 1984. *1985 - Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets (National League) and Bret Saberhagen of the Kansas City Royals (American League) win the Cy Young Award in their respective leagues. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Willie McGee, meanwhile, wins the National League Most Valuable Player Award, capping a season in which he led the league in batting average (.353) and hits (216) and also stole 56 bases. *1986 - Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox becomes the first starting pitcher to win the American League MVP Award since Vida Blue in 1971, receiving 19 of a possible 28 first-place votes to defeat runner-up Don Mattingly. *1987 - Chicago Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson becomes the first player from a last-place club ever to win an Most Valuable Player Award, taking National League honors with a .287 batting average and as a league leader in home runs (49) and RBI (137). 1990s *1994 - The Cleveland Indians trade pitchers Dave Mlicki, Jerry Dipoto, Paul Byrd, and a player to be named to the New York Mets in exchange for outfielder Jeromy Burnitz and pitcher Joe Roa. *1997: **The expansion draft starts with several transactions. Two pitchers who appeared in the World Series a month earlier, Tony Saunders (Florida Marlins) and Brian Anderson (Cleveland Indians), are the first players taken. Saunders, the first player chosen overall, heads a list of new Tampa Bay Devil Rays team that includes Quinton McCracken, Bubba Trammell, Albie López and Terrell Wade. Tampa Bay also obtain John Flaherty from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Brian Boehringer and Andy Sheets; Kevin Stocker from the Philadelphia Phillies for Bobby Abreu; Fred McGriff from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for a player to be named, and sign free agent Roberto Hernández. The Arizona Diamondbacks, meanwhile, who signed free agent Jay Bell to a five-year contract yesterday, select Jeff Suppan, Jorge Fábregas and Karim García, and acquire Travis Fryman from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Joe Randa, Gabe Alvarez and a minor leaguer. They also obtain Devon White from the Florida Marlins for a prospect. **In various trades, the Colorado Rockies acquire second baseman Mike Lansing from the Montréal Expos for pitcher Jake Westbrook and two prospects; the Florida Marlins send reliever Robb Nen to the San Francisco Giants for three minor league pitchers; the New York Yankees obtain third baseman Scott Brosius from the Oakland Athletics to complete the Kenny Rogers deal, and the Seattle Mariners sign free agent second baseman Joey Cora. But the transaction that makes perhaps the biggest headlines is National League Cy Young winner Pedro Martínez going from the Expos to the Boston Red Sox for young pitchers Carl Pavano and Tony Armas, Jr.. *1998: **For the second time in three seasons, Texas Rangers slugger Juan González is voted the American League Most Valuable Player. A native of Puerto Rico, González becomes the first Hispanic major leaguer to win two MVP awards. **The Cleveland Indians trade outfielder Brian Giles to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Ricardo Rincón. *1999 - Texas Rangers catcher Iván Rodríguez wins the American League MVP Award. Rodríguez was runnerup for team MVP to Rafael Palmeiro. 2000s *2000 - The Seattle Mariners sign Japanese star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki to a three-year contract, making him the first Japanese position player in major league history. *2002 - The Florida Marlins send recently acquired pitcher Mike Hampton to the Atlanta Braves for two minor league pitchers. *2004 - Although the Montréal Expos may not know where they are playing next season (the final MLB approval for Washington, DC has been postponed) or the team’s new name, the former Montréal franchise will know who is the club’s manager. Frank Robinson, after compiling a 233-253 record despite many restrictions and hardships, will return to the helm for his fourth year as the skipper of this nomad ship. *2005: **Orel Hershiser resigned as pitching coach of the Texas Rangers to become the team's executive director. **The Chicago Cubs sign free agent reliever Scott Eyre to a three-year $11 million contract . **Cuban Liván Hernández will ask to pitch for Puerto Rico in next year's World Baseball Classic. The Washington Nationals ace is seeking eligibility under a rule that allows players to be on a team if they have permanent residency in that nation or commonwealth. **Free agent pinch-hitting specialist Marlon Anderson agreed to a $1.85 million, two-year deal with the Washington Nationals. **Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones has agreed to restructure his contract, reducing his salary by $6 million next season. The new deal could save the Braves about $15 million over three seasons and free up money for free agents. **Under a new premium pricing structure announced today, the Washington Nationals will charge $5 to $10 more per individual ticket for home games against those three teams in 2006. The new pricing policy affects 10 games: May 19-21 against Baltimore, June 16-18 against the Yankees, July 21-23 against the Cubs, and the April 11 home opener against the New York Mets. **The San Diego Padres acquired outfielder Mike Cameron from the New York Mets for utility player Xavier Nady. Births *1863 - Deacon McGuire, catcher (d. 1936) *1882 - Jack Coombs, pitcher (d. 1957) *1893 - Les Mann, outfielder (d. 1962) *1909 - Joe Coscarart, infielder (d. 1983) *1924 - Rocky Nelson, infielder *1925 - Gene Mauch, player and manager (d. 2005) *1926 - Roy Sievers, All-Star infielder *1936 - Jay Hook, pitcher *1952 - Steve Henderson, outfielder *1955 - Luis Pujols, player and manager *1961 - Mike Felder, outfielder *1962 - Jamie Moyer, All-Star pitcher *1963 - Dante Bichette, All-Star outfielder *1965 - Mark Petkovsek, pitcher *1966 - Ron Coomer, All-Star infielder *1967 - Tom Gordon, All-Star pitcher *1968 - Gary Sheffield, All-Star outfielder *1975 - Shawn Camp, pitcher *1975 - David Ortiz, All-Star infielder *1975 - Matt Wise, pitcher *1980 - C.J. Wilson, pitcher Deaths *1919 - Freddie Fitzsimmons, player and manager (b. 1901) *1983 - Hilton Smith, Hall of Fame Negro Leagues player (b. 1907) *1996 - Charlie Neal, All-Star infielder (b. 1931) *2003 - Ken Brett, All-Star pitcher (b. 1948)